Jordan Phillips is being acquired by the Cowboys from the Giants. By adding a seasoned defensive tackle, the Dallas Cowboys are strengthening their defensive line.
The Cowboys are acquiring defensive tackle Jordan Phillips from the New York Giants through a trade, as reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The Giants send a seventh-round pick to Dallas in exchange for the Cowboys sending a sixth-round pick. On Wednesday, August 14, Schultz wrote,
“BREAKING: The #Giants are trading DT Jordan Phillips to the #Cowboys, per multiple sources.” Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes that the selection swap will take place in the 2026 NFL draft. Duggan comments, “Know it’s not much (reportedly a sixth for a seventh in 2026) but getting anything is a win because Phillips wasn’t making the roster.”
The Cowboys and Giants are involved in a “rare divisional” deal, as noted by Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. In the NFL, trades between divisional opponents are rare.
Nonetheless, the trade certainly made sense for both teams given that their paths are different—Dallas is viewed as a playoff contender, while New York is mostly focused on rebuilding. Meirov reports, “Trade: Per @Schultz_Report, the #Giants are trading veteran DT Jordan Phillips to the #Cowboys.””A rare divisional trade in the NFC East.”
Lions sign ex-Eastern Michigan DL Pat O'Connor https://t.co/hrwLNKm47y
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) August 1, 2024
Jordan Phillips Was Buried on Giants Depth Chart
With 62 starts in his 120 career games, Phillips adds a plethora of experience to Dallas. After joining the Giants in the summer, the 31-year-old Phillips—who will be 32 in September—was buried on the team’s depth chart.
Throughout training camp, Phillips was the third-string defensive end, as Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post notes. The majority of the optional summer workouts were missed by Phillips after he agreed to a one-year, $1.79 million contract in April, according to Dunleavy.
“Throughout training camp, he was confined to the third squad and faced an uphill battle to survive the impending cut from 90 to 53 players.”
Jordan Phillips Brings Experience Behind Second-Year Mazi Smith
As ESPN’s Todd Archer notes, Dallas was looking for depth at defensive tackle.
On Wednesday, August 14, Archer writes, “The move was not made because of any unhappiness with Mazi Smith’s development.” Earlier in the offseason, there were concerns about finding depth. had a conversation with Linval Joseph, a seasoned FA. had unfulfilled trade talks with a different team in addition to the Giants.
The former Oklahoma Sooners player was first selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Phillips started 11 games in his second and third seasons with the Dolphins, after making four starts in his debut campaign.
After entering the 2018 season as a starter, he was waived in the middle of the season. He was eventually claimed by the Buffalo Bills, spending the 2018 and 2019 seasons in Buffalo. It was during his 2019 season with the Bills that Phillips posted a career year, racking up 9.5 sacks, 31 tackles 16 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for loss.
Phillips’ career year resulted in a three-year, $30 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals during the 2020 offseason. However, after two injury-plagued seasons — he appeared in just 18 total games with five sacks — Phillips was released by the Cardinals.
The 6-foot-6 defensive tackle signed with the Bills for a second stint, starting nine games during the 2023 season in Buffalo.
This defensive tackle position is thought to be starting for Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa, but Phillips should be ready to go right away as the primary backup. DJ Siddiqi covers the NFL for Heavy.com, concentrating on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks. Prior to joining Heavy, he covered the NFL and NBA for Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ClutchPoints, Forbes, and 24/7 Sports.
